Saturday, January 30, 2010

The majority of Ichneumon Wasps resemble slender wasps but differ from the stinging wasps in having longer antennae with more segments (usually at least 16). Many have long ovipositors, often longer than the body. There are around 5,000 species of Ichneumon Wasps described in North America. Some estimate there are another 3,000 North American species as yet undescribed. The worldwide species number estimate is 60,000. Ichneumonids are notoriously hard to identify.

What BugGuide says about Subfamily Campopleginae:They are koinobiont endoparasitoids; hosts are mostly Lepidoptera, Symphyta and a few attack Coleoptera.

What that means:

Parasites live within or on a host without killing the host. Parasitoids ultimately kill their hosts. Koinobiont parasitoids allow the host to continue its development and often do not kill or consume the host until the host is about to either pupate or become an adult. Endoparasitoids develop inside the body of their host.

So ... A female campoplegine oviposits an egg inside the body of a host larva (a caterpillar, usually). The host larva continues developing into a pupa. The Ichneumon Wasp egg hatches into a larva which 1.) consumes the host and 2.) benefits from the protection provided by the host's pupal case. Before the host pupa becomes an adult, the wasp larva finishes it off, emerges and form its own cocoon. If all goes well, the Ichneumon larva will emerge from its cocoon as an adult wasp. Campoplegine cocoons look something like a small speck of bird poop. (Photo here.) Hosts for this subfamily include butterflies and moths, sawflies and a few beetles.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

They say the early bird catches the worm. I'm not sure what this early species of moth is trying to catch. Maybe it's trying to give its larvae first choice at the opening leaves of deciduous trees? A Toothed Phigalia was the first moth of the new year I saw here this year and last. In fact, it's likely that Phigalia denticulata (or another Philgalia sp.) will be the first moth seen throughout their range. Being early is the one remarkable feature of this common and fairly nondescript moth. Adult P. denticulata fly from December to April in the south; late March and April in the north.

Range: Ontario and New York to Florida, west to Texas, north to Missouri; also recorded in Utah.

Reproduction: The general rule for moths is: Males find the females. This is especially true for this genus of moths because females have only tiny nub-like wings and are flightless. (A photo of a female Phigalia titea is here.)

Sunday, January 24, 2010

I found limited information about this relatively small (6-9 mm) Longhorned Beetle. According to BugGuide, Atimia confusa is widespread throughout the central and eastern U. S., is active in the spring and fall and is attracted to lights. (I photographed this specimen under our porch light.) Larval host plants are cedars and junipers.

Friday, January 22, 2010

The same waterfall as in the previous post, but this time flowing strong after almost two inches of rain instead of covered with icicles. Our temperature warmed so much after the deep freeze that an approaching cold front triggered thunderstorms complete with a little bit of hail -- just as if it was actually springtime already.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

A few more photos from the early January deep freeze before moving on to something else. These photos were taken on January 8, 2010. This one shows a leaf encased in one of the ice flows on the bluffs below our house.

Icicles on the waterfall below our house. Unfortunately, our house is on the same level as the top of the waterfall so it cannot be seen from the house. We must climb down into the ravine to view.

Water seeping into the overhang behind the waterfall formed icicles too.

Water seeping out of the bluffs above the creek froze and formed its own icicles and ice flows.

But now all the ice is gone, except for a few of the largest ice flows along the bluff. During the first several days of thawing, I often heard icicles crashing down into the creek bed as they melted and came loose from the rocks.

Today is sunny and the temperature is predicted to climb up into the lower fifties. There are no below freezing temperatures in our immediate forecast.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

The unusually cold temperatures that put the Ozark Mountain region into a deep freeze for a couple of weeks have moderated. On Wednesday I made a trip into town and re-provisioned for the first time in a couple of weeks. All is now back to normal.

The photos below were taken while we were still debating when we'd be able to make a trip out. We live a couple of miles off the blacktop and the last three-quarters of a mile of dirt road is a dead end down to our house, though parts of our "driveway" are used by our neighbor when checking his cows, cutting firewood, etc. We did not receive much snow and ice during the deep freeze -- only about an inch of snow. The problem was that our temperatures stayed so cold, the little bit of snow received would not melt.

The snow on sections of road receiving full sunshine on clear days melted fairly quickly. (I know this looks more like a dry creek bed, but it is a road. Trust me on this.)

Other sections of road stayed mostly in the shadows. The snow compacted and glazed becoming almost as slick as ice. Not negotiable by our 2WD vehicles with street tire, especially when trying to drive uphill.

We have many winter seeps. When they empty in to the road, an ice flow forms. One must be careful getting around these even when walking, especially when they're hidden under a dusting of new snow.

On the other hand, the red clay sections of road can become even more difficult to climb after they thaw.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Identification: Gray or tan with eight (more or less) jagged crossbars on its back. Tends to be darker in cooler weather and lighter in warmer weather.

Distribution: Arkansas, Oklahoma, large parts of Texas and Missouri, and contiguous area of several adjoining states.

Habitat: Woodland edges. The Prairie Lizard prefers spending most of its time up off the ground perched on rocks, logs, fence posts or up in a tree. From these elevated perches, it can bask, search for prey and watch for predators. During breeding season, males often do "push ups" to show off their bright breeding coloration to nearby females and to warn off rival males. Males with the best lookouts are known to have an advantage in successful breeding. (This particular lizard was basking on a tree branch at the edge of our garden in June, 2005)

Life Cycle: Breeding occurs throughout the spring and summer. Females lay 3 to a dozen or so eggs often in rotten logs or sawdust. Two egg clutches per year are normal.

Food: This species eats a wide variety of insects, spiders, and other invertebrates by either chasing them down or simply letting prey come within striking distance.

Comments: When I searched my photo archives looking for a suitable (i. e. easily identified) entry for my first participation in the House of Herps Blog Carnival, I thought this "fence lizard" was a good selection. However, as I began trying to pin down my ID and find additional material, I found a lot of conflicting information. Until relatively recently there was a large group of spiny lizards called Fence Lizards (Sceloporus undulatus) with numerous subspecies. Under that classification, the lizard in the photos above would have been a Northern Fence Lizard (Sceloporus undulatus hyacinthinus). However, DNA analysis led to a reclassification of this species. The numerous subspecies became separate species and new common names were appended accordingly. A PDF describing the DNA analysis is here if you are inclined to wade through it.

Thursday, January 07, 2010

With snow on the ground and a windchill somewhere down around 0°F/-17°C, I thought a SkyWatch flashback to a warmer time would be appropriate. Jo and I were heading back to Arkansas after visiting our parents on the middle Texas coast. We'd gotten an early start on our trip, but not too early least we arrive in Houston during morning rush hour. We pulled into a roadside park just south of Tivoli, TX so Jo could take several sunrise photos. None of the photos show the swarms of mosquitoes that were trying to carry us off. (BTW: In Texas, Tivoli is pronounced Ty-vole-ah. It is in Refugio County which is usually incorrectly pronounced Re-fury-oh.)

Monday, January 04, 2010

Today was sunny, but cold. Our temperature never climbed above freezing. The snow exposed to direct sunlight did a little melting, but mostly it just compacted and turned into a substance more like ice. I took our camera out and explored the little waterfall just below our house.